Puntrooskie Pulls the Upset in Bold Venture

Puntrooskie, under a heady ride by Patrick Husbands, made the grade in Saturday's $150,600 Grade 3 Bold Venture Stakes, at Woodbine.

Trained by Donald MacRae for his D-Mac Racing Stable and co-owners Michael Lay and Mike Loughry, Puntrooskie made the transition from claimer to graded stakes winner by toppling a talented field of six in the 6 1/2-furlong Tapeta sprint for three-year-olds and upward.

MacRae claimed the five-year-old son of In Summation for $40,000 on May 27 out of a good second-place run to San Nicola Thunder on the Woodbine turf. A winner of the Woodstock Stakes in 2014, Puntrooskie was third in last season's edition of the Bold Venture and also showed his class with a second-place run in the Grade 3 Vigil.

After winning his first start for new connections, an allowance sprint with Eurico Rosa da Silva up, MacRae tapped Husbands for the mount in the Bold Venture with da Silva electing to ride sophomore speedster Noholdingback Bear rather than 2014 champion sprinter Calgary Cat.

Western Elegance was away quickest of all in the Bold Venture but it was Noholdingback Bear, who set a track record of 1:14.44 for 6 1/2-furlongs last time out, that took command.

Noholdingback Bear battled through splits of :23.18 and :45.52 under pressure throughout from Choctaw Chuck as Puntrooskie stalked from fourth position sitting just outside of Calgary Cat.  Husbands urged Puntrooskie into contention through the turn as Choctaw Chuck faded, putting more pressure on Noholdingback Bear, while Calgary Cat began to get untracked from fourth position.  However, it was Puntrooskie, with a relentless stretch run, who wore down Noholdingback Bear to secure a ½-length win.  Calgary Cat kept on for show money, 2 ¼-lengths in front of a rail-rallying Western Elegance. Puntrooskie stopped the clock in 1:16.06.

Husbands was pleased to have landed the mount on the talented dark bay.

"He was racing against the best sprinters on the grounds, but I rode him with confidence," said Husbands. "I had a lot of horse and I just tried to ride Eurico (aboard Noholdingback Bear) as tight as possible. A clean ride, tight, and not let his horse get a suck of wind down the lane. My horse turned out to be the best horse today."

Puntrooskie is now undefeated in two starts for new connections.

"He's a horse we had been watching for awhile," said MacRae. "He's run against the best here before and only been beat three or four lengths and we thought if we could improve him a bit (he could win)."

Puntrooskie, bred in Florida by John David O'Farrell, J. Michael O'Farrell, Jr. and Our Sugar Bear Stable, banked $90,000 in victory while improving his record to 5-6-5 from 29 starts

 

He paid $18.10, $4.60 and $2.30, combining with Noholdingback Bear ($2.30, $2.10) for a $37.80 (4-2) exactor. A 4-2-6 triactor (Calgary Cat, $2.10 to show) was worth $80.

Velvet Mood, with Pablo Morales in the irons, held off a furious rally from Stormy Perfection to win Saturday's co-featured $129,000 My Dear Stakes, at Woodbine.

Trained by Timothy Hamm for owners Blazing Meadows Farm and Siena Farm LLC, Velvet Mood arrived at Woodbine for her Canadian debut from a pair of off-the-pace wins at Presque Isle Downs.

Forest Circle was sent to post as the 4-5 My Dear favourite on the back on a field-best 79 Beyer Speed Figure earned at Arlington Park. However, the front-running filly hopped at the start of the six furlong Tapeta sprint for juvenile fillies and had to settle behind the early speed of White Tights and Raglan Road.

Velvet Mood settled into third position and waited patiently for her cue as White Tights rattled off splits of :22.82 and :46.63. White Tights led the field through the turn as Velvet Mood and a wide-rallying Goldrush Glory launched their bid with a bottled up Forest Circle and Stormy Perfection waiting for racing room.  Once clear, Stormy Perfection surged into contention but Velvet Mood had the jump and dug in gamely to earn a neck score.  Stormy Perfection held place by a 1/2-length over Raglan Road.  Velvet Mood covered six furlongs in 1:12.41.

Morales guided the bay daughter of Lonhro to a similar stalking score last time out in a 5 1/2-furlong Presque Isle Downs allowance event. 

"She's super easy to ride. She does whatever you ask her to do and has been so classy since day one," said Morales. "I knew I had a lot of horse today and that I was going to finish running. I just figured I'd get a clear spot behind the speed and she would respond, and she did. 

"She dug in the whole way," continued Morales. "As soon as the horse (Stormy Perfection) came to her outside, I kept asking her for more and she kept giving and giving right to the wire. She just wouldn't let them go by."

Bred in Kentucky by Siena Farms LLC, Velvet Mood is out of the Bernardini mare Zayanna who went winless in two career starts.

"This is our first stakes win in Canada," said Siena Farms co-founder David Pope. “Her dam raced here (at Woodbine) early on and had great potential but had a few setbacks. It's really nice to come back here with her daughter and win."

Hamm credited Velvet Mood's ability to settle with securing her first added-money score.

"From her first race, we decided to tuck her in and teach her how to rate rather than sending her and I think that paid off big today," said Hamm.

Velvet Mood banked $75,000 in victory while remaining undefeated in three starts.

 

She paid $19.40, $6.70 and $3.90, combining with Stormy Perfection ($8.10, $4.50) for a $131.80 (4-3) exactor. A 4-3-2 triactor (Raglan Road, $3.30 to show) was worth $507.70, while a $1 superfecta 4-2-3-6 (Green Freedom) came back $906.50.